Can't Pretend
by queenoftheworldliza
Summary: What if instead of the Doctor telling Daniel that Emily was never pregnant, she told him that Emily is still pregnant and they are having a son. The baby made it through the gun wounds and Emily is going to wake to an interesting surprise in the hospital room!


The vibrating sound of the blood pressure cuff fills the hospital room and Daniel can't help but to turn and look at Emily, examining the woman who has been deceiving him for years. Her face is pale and it looks innocent and vulnerable. But it's not.

He hadn't been perfect in his relationship with Emily, especially with the arrival of his old fling Sarah, but the hurtful blow caused by the news he heard on the deck moments before he shot Emily was something that tore his heart to pieces. The mixture of the feelings he felt intertwined in his stomach and crawled up to his throat to choke him. He stood up and walked towards the door unable to stand being cooped up in the stale room anymore.

Emily wasn't pregnant. There was no baby. That was a lie, everything about Emily Thorne was probably a lie. And now that his initial anger filled passion had subsided all he was left to nurse was hurt, worry, anger and almost worst of all: regret.

The investigation was intense, even more so since she was found alive on a fishing boat. They were questioning everyone but him. Knowing it was him who shot Emily made the guilt weigh even heavier. It was obvious his Mother would be the prime suspect, and if he hadn't have done it himself, he would have suspected Victoria in a heartbeat. She hated Emily. She always had; and she would go to the ends of the earth to destroy the things she hated.

Out in the hallway Victoria and his half-brother Patrick paced back and forth. He stood quietly near the two of them, ignoring his Mother's fawning and pleas for his attention, because he knew it was chock full of insincerity. A petite red-haired doctor walked briskly towards them and singled out Daniel.

"I have some news about your wife that I would like to discuss with you in private."

Daniel was glad when the doctor pulled him aside, because he couldn't stand the fact that his Mother was right about Emily or his bastard brother that she had hidden from him his entire life standing next to her.

"Sure, let's go into Emily's room." He says, loathing the idea of entering it again, but he not wanting to risk Victoria overhearing the news he was about to hear.

The doctor softly closes Emily's hospital door behind them. The blood pressure cuff had deflated since he left and new stats appear on the little monitor next to the bed. Daniel studies them for a split second, then turns back towards the doctor, uneasy to meet her eyes with his.

"Emily is becoming more stable, but we're still unsure of when she is going to wake up, it could be any time now, but it could very well take a few days. She's been through quite a lot of trauma and has lost a lot of blood."

There is a pause and a smile begins to cross her face.

"I do have some incredible news though that will definitely brighten this situation."

Daniel can't imagine any news that could make the situation better. His wife lied to him about being pregnant, ruined his chances at possibly finding love and happiness with Sarah, and he made the mistake of shooting her in anger. Nothing could brighten this, but he holds his tongue and waits for the "good news".

"The baby has survived the gun wounds. It's truly a miracle. Your son might make it after all."

"My son?" Daniel inhales sharply at these words. The look of shock on his face is evident and the doctor takes a step backward.

"Had you not found out the gender yet?"

Son? My son? The words run over and over again in his head.

"I assumed you would have known by now. The 4-D ultrasounds allow early access to that information." Her cheeks begin to turn as red as her face, "I'm very sorry, Mr. Grayson. I hope I haven't spoiled your surprise. I'm sure that is something you would have wanted to experience with Emily. I'll leave you to her and get out of here before I spill any more information that are best left for time to tell."

Daniels shoulders slump as the door clicks behind the doctor. He pulls the curtain shut, so Victoria can't see through the glass window and bends down towards Emily's hand, his knees falling to the floor below him as pulls her pale hand to his lips. Tears follow.

She wasn't lying; he shot her for nothing. What was all of that about on the deck? What was he overhearing? These questions run in the back of his mind, but the fact that he really is going to be a Father overshadows this and his other hand moves gently towards her stomach and he stays in that position until he falls asleep; the stress of the past few days and the lack of sleep hitting him like a brick wall.


End file.
